Smart Cities Financing Guide

"Cities everywhere are challenged by congestion, pollution, crime, aging infrastructure, falling budgets and many other issues. They need new strategies and new technologies to address those challenges. Smart technology is a key piece of the solution. But smart city projects come with price tags. And many smart technologies are relatively new and haven’t established the kind of track record financiers want to see, which makes securing capital investments even more challenging. Happily, there are numerous financing tools available to help cities and regional governments pay for smart city projects. This guide highlights 28 of the most promising — including alternatives to the traditional funding mechanisms municipalities have used for decades. It also includes: • Detailed analyses of each option based on 10 characteristics to help decision makers easily identify the best tools for specific types of projects. • Examples of how these tools are being used today.. The Smart Cities Council is grateful to the Arizona State University Center for Urban Innovation for the financial expertise and insights that made this Smart Cities Finance Guide possible. Please refer to page 76 to learn about the authors and the Center."Jesse Berst, Chairman, Smart Cities Council